With long lists of things to do, you may have a hard time squeezing in time for the gym. The good news is you don't need to spend hours there to get a great workout -- you just need to make the most of your time by maximizing your intensity. With intervals and hill work, you can get an incredible treadmill workout that will melt fat and kick your butt in just 45 minutes.
Workout No. 1
Step 1
Warm up by walking briskly on the treadmill at 3 to 4 mph for five minutes.
Step 2
Set the incline to a grade of 1 to 2 percent. You will maintain this incline until the cooldown.
Step 3
Increase your speed to a moderate run, approximately 6 to 7.5 mph. Maintain this speed for two minutes.
Step 4
Reduce your speed to 3 to 3.5 mph and recover for two minutes. Repeat this interval eight times.
Step 5
Cool down by walking for five minutes at 3 mph.
Workout No. 2
Vary your workouts to avoid training plateaus. Once your body becomes accustomed to a specific workout and intensity, your progress will slow. Don't be afraid to shake things up by using different interval lengths. You can also mix in some steady-state sessions between these high-intensity workouts.
Talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen. If you're just beginning, start slowly and build a base of cardiovascular fitness first. If you feel faint or dizzy at any time during the workout, stop immediately.
Treadmill with incline
Sneakers
Stopwatch
Step 1
Warm up by walking briskly on the treadmill for five minutes at 3 to 4 mph.
Step 2
Increase to a challenging walking or running speed that you can maintain for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Increase the treadmill grade to 3 percent for one minute. Then increase the grade to 4 percent for two minutes. Increase the grade to 5 percent for three more minutes. Maintain your starting speed throughout.
Step 4
Decrease grade to 0.5 percent, reduce speed to 3 to 4 mph, and recover for two minutes.
Step 5
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for a total of four or five intervals.
Step 6
Cool down by walking for five minutes at 3 mph.
Tips
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
- Shape.com: 10 Ways to Burn More Calories on a Treadmill
- Treadmill Training for Runners; Rick Morris
- The Seattle Times: 5 Tips to Improve Treadmill Workouts
Resources
Tips
- Vary your workouts to avoid training plateaus. Once your body becomes accustomed to a specific workout and intensity, your progress will slow. Don't be afraid to shake things up by using different interval lengths. You can also mix in some steady-state sessions between these high-intensity workouts.
Warnings
- Talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen. If you're just beginning, start slowly and build a base of cardiovascular fitness first. If you feel faint or dizzy at any time during the workout, stop immediately.
Writer Bio
Jessica Bell has been working in the health and fitness industry since 2002. She has served as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Bell holds an M.A. in communications and a B.A. in English.